Differently

Navigating Change in Uncertain Times

• Carla Reeves | Creator of The Differently Coaching Experience

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Something significant is shifting in our world, and you've likely been feeling it too. The familiar systems, structures, and approaches we've relied on are transforming before our eyes, demanding new ways of navigating life and work. This transformation isn't just happening in technology or politics—it's reaching into the very foundations of how we approach our daily lives.

Throughout my journey of breaking free from societal expectations to embrace my authentic calling, I've discovered that periods of significant change require specific skills that many of us haven't fully developed. Mental resilience—the ability to adapt quickly while maintaining inner stability—stands out as perhaps the most crucial capability for these times. This isn't about forcing outcomes or clinging desperately to control, but rather learning to self-soothe, remain present, and trust the unfolding process even when we can't see the entire path ahead.

What's particularly fascinating about this moment is how it's inviting us to heal aspects of ourselves that create "drag" in our lives—those old patterns, limiting beliefs, and emotional baggage that slow our forward movement. I've noticed that resistance and discouragement often signal imminent breakthroughs when approached with intention rather than avoidance. By focusing on the "invisible things" within our control—our thoughts, perceptions, and choices—we develop the grounded presence needed not only to navigate our own transitions but to guide others through theirs with calm confidence. Whether you're sensing collective change or facing specific personal transitions, there's extraordinary possibility waiting on the other side of uncertainty for those willing to embrace a different way forward.

Join our free monthly virtual classes where we explore these concepts together through rich conversation, writing exercises, and community support. What change are you sensing, and how might you move through it differently? The world needs your unique gifts now more than ever.

Learn more about Carla:
Website: https:/www.carlareeves.com/
Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
Connect on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@differentlythepodcast

Go to https://carlareeves.com/freeclass to get The Class schedule, sign up, and/or pass it on to a friend. Each month is a new topic. Come hang out and learn with us for FREE!

Get your copy of 5 Ways to Manage Your Mind

Go to https://www.carlareeves.com/getunstuck.com to download Carla's on demand journaling workshop + exercise to help you stop spinning and start moving forward.

Explore Coaching with Carla: https://bookme.name/carlareeves/lite/explore-coaching

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Thank you for listening!

Speaker 1:

I'm Carla Reeves, and this is Differently. Whether you feel stuck in survival, navigating a change or seeking more for your life, may this podcast be your weekly nudge to take a risk to build a life that is uniquely bold, authentic and in alignment with your deepest values. What if you worried less about the bumps in the road and instead got equipped for the journey? Get ready to rethink what's possible. There's change in the air. Are you feeling it?

Speaker 1:

Today's episode, I want to share what I've been feeling and sensing because I have a feeling you're feeling the same thing. So, as you know, if you've been listening a while, I spent half of my life checking the boxes to become who I thought I was supposed to be and the second half of my life breaking all that down so that I could become who I'm called to be, and now I'm in the practice of living free and helping others do the same. I have been really recognizing lately that I'm asking myself questions to get clearer and clearer on the vision for my business and this stage of my life, and I'm really a stand for renewing minds, because when our minds are renewed, our lives are renewed and really living and leading from the inside out and having tools for living our everyday life and sparking conversations that ignite possibility for you, and that's what today is about. So the change that I'm feeling, I have this sense that our world is changing, that the systems in which we operate are changing the way that we've always done things are changing. I mean, you see technology changing our political landscape, our culture, but it feels bigger than it ever has before, in the sense that I've been feeling like the ways that I've always approached life, business, everything some of those aren't working anymore and I'm having to reinvent or find an alternative pathway, and I want to say that to give you permission to do the same.

Speaker 1:

The other thing I've been noticing is that, um, or feeling is that we are going to be, or feeling is that we are going to be need to be equipped to navigate more rapid change than I believe we've been accustomed to, and that there's an opportunity for us to get really good at this. And I know that it can feel scary and uncertain, but I want to remind you and me that it doesn't have to. So I remember years and years ago and I've been thinking about this a lot lately my husband and I heard this speaker on the TV. I don't even know who he was or what it was for, but I will never forget what he said, and he said the most, and this was a number of years ago, way before COVID. He said the most important skill we could be teaching our children is mental resiliency, and I've thought about that, hearing that so many times over the years, that how true that was, and not only for our children, but for us too. And so there's some things that I believe we're going to need to be really good at in the coming days and years, and those are things like learning to self soothe, learning to calm our own mind, because when we calm our mind, we calm our emotions.

Speaker 1:

We're going to need to be more awake and alert, more tuned in and more present, because when you're navigating uncertainty, we can't always see the path ahead, we can't always see how it's going to go, and for people like me and, I believe, you, that are strategic, that are achievers, that are focused on doing and we use our checklists and all of that, this can be super challenging, and I've had some practice at this over the last year and a half when I wanted to lay out this next vision for my business, and every time I do it doesn't quite work. And I've been in this state for the last year and a half of having to just trust and have a loose idea and show up and just take the next step and trust that God's going to show me the next step, and I can tell you that for the last year and a half he has been so faithful in that. I haven't always been so good at trusting divine timing, I haven't always been good at being patient, and there are times where I want to grab the reins and force outcomes, but that never turns out well. And so I think, just getting good at trusting potentially a little less planning and a little more present, because when we're present we know what to do next it's when we get lost in our heads, spinning in fear, doubt, confusion, all the things that we lose our footing. The other thing that I have been sensing is that there's going to be less time to drag our feet or maybe spin out and struggle in things that we always have, and I see this as like a permission slip to actually, you know, spend less time spinning or struggling in our head in the ways that we have, so that we can be more agile, more adaptable and move more swiftly through change so that we can be leaders for others and be grounded so that we can help others as they're navigating. This might be our families, this might be our teams, people in our community, our clients. If we get good at this, we will be able to help others navigate this more rapid change.

Speaker 1:

Something else that's been bubbling up and I've been noticing this in conversations with clients and friends and all over is that I think people are healing, like things are bubbling up in your life that maybe need healing in order for us to be more agile and move more swiftly and I don't by swiftly I don't mean urgency or frantic, but more like a calm, swift, less drag. So picking up those anchors and things that luggage and baggage, letting go of things that create drag in our life, I feel is really important right now, and I can see this in my business, in my marriage, in the way that I am showing up for my life, all those things. So I'm so curious what this is stirring for you as you listen to my experience, some things that are helping me as I navigate this, and I want to share this so you can start to think about like what are your go-tos? And maybe some of your old go-to old go-tos might need some reinventing, like it might need something new right now that's going to support you. So, even being open to that, I'm always writing my way through.

Speaker 1:

Writing helps me one get out any fear, doubt, uncertainty, like the fear of all of that Um, so that I can get centered and grounded in who I am and what I'm up to and who I'm called to be. In the midst of whatever it is I'm navigating on any given day, the writing helps me keep my head straight. It helps me stay in step with God and stay in, find the flow, find where there's flow, and I think that's another thing that's going to help us in the coming days and years is learning to see where things are flowing in your life and joining in. It's easy to get hooked up on a rock or looking you know, hanging onto a rock and looking back into the past. I feel like there's going to be less time. It's going to be important to spend less time doing that, less time looking back or less time regretting, and more picking up, learning and carrying on and doing our best. So let those things that might need healing bubble up.

Speaker 1:

I notice, I have noticed lately that every I don't know how many days it is, but I bump up against resistance and I feel discouraged and I feel like a heaviness. And I've noticed now that every time there is resistance like that, there's a breakthrough on the other side. So how you show up in that resistance is important. And don't you know, I've been trying not to make it such a big deal, like the resistance and just knowing like, okay, there's, there's something important here, and so make sure you're showing up and, um, intentional, even inside of the period of resistance. That's really important. And remember, stay focused on the things that you can control. I see this with clients all the time, but especially in times of uncertainty or times that we feel fearful, we want to cling to and control things.

Speaker 1:

Most of the time, those are things that aren't actually in our domain of responsibility. They're things outside of our domain where we have little influence or agency to make a difference. And so I want to remind you to focus on invisible things like we've been talking about, like your internal world, your thinking, your perceptions, your thoughts, your choices. These are the invisible things. These are the things that most of the time when things get hectic in life or we get fearful or things are uncertain, we let these habits go to the wayside, and this is actually when you need to double down and get really creative on how you can keep these things a priority, because one of the conversations I've been having with other leaders is they're wondering like how can I be a better leader and lead through uncertainty, lead those around me through uncertainty? And I believe the greatest way that we can do that is by being calm and grounded and centered inside of ourselves. These are the invisible things. These are the things that you're going to want to focus on. They're the things that are always within your domain of responsibility and they're the things that make a huge difference and give you agency.

Speaker 1:

So what change are you sensing? Is it a larger change that you're sensing and feeling in the collective world, or are you navigating specific change, or is it a little bit of both? A couple other questions you might ask is are there things that you need to set down and stop doing that aren't working anymore, and is there something you feel drawn to start doing? Listen to that and what is going to support you now? Not based on your past or what always has, but what's really going to support you now, not based on your past or what always has, but what's really going to support you in moving through change in a new and different way, so that you can lead those around you and always instead of you know, I think, as humans were designed to look for answers, look for questions that are going to help you get to the solutions by sitting in the question, and magic happens in conversation and community. And if you haven't joined us, I've been hosting free classes every month where you get to come and have a conversation, be in this kind of conversation that we have on the podcast, with a like-minded community, with writing prompts and exercises, to really dig in and equip yourself to navigate change with more grace, more ease, more power, whatever it is that you are feeling led to do in your life.

Speaker 1:

We have a class coming up on April 9th. I will put a link in the show notes. We'd love to have you. They're free, they're virtual, you can attend from anywhere. We spend about an hour in conversation, deep thought and writing exercises, and there's a lot of rich sharing.

Speaker 1:

The takeaways have been amazing and if you've been enjoying this podcast, I think this would be a really great next step of diving a little bit deeper into your life. That's all I have today for today, I want you to know that if you're feeling change and the sense of change, you are not alone. There is a way to move through this. That might look very different than those around you and I encourage you if that, if you're curious about that, lean into that. All those years ago, when I knew on my heart that there was a different way to live life, I had no idea how to do it. If I looked around me, at the world around me and the people around me, I couldn't find a lot of examples of it, but I knew in my heart there was a different way, and that has led me to so many interesting places. So if you feel that, if you feel there's a possibility here for you inside of whatever change you're navigating, follow it.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of differently. It's been an honor to share this conversation with you. You know one of the keys to living fully is to take action when you're inspired to do so. I hope you found that spark of inspiration today and would you help us spread the word. Did someone you know come to mind while you were listening. If this episode could impact someone you know, please share it and pass it along. New episodes drop weekly, so tap that subscribe button and join us next time as we continue to challenge the status quo and get equipped to live life differently.